ATHENS — It is Tennessee week, so Georgia’s Marlon Brown knows exactly what that means for him. It means he will be the subject of multiple media interviews.
“What a surprise,” he said sarcastically when surrounded by reporters after a recent practice.
It has become routine for the junior receiver from Memphis. When it comes time to play the Volunteers, everybody wants to know how he feels his decision to choose Georgia over the home state university and when he might finally have that breakout season.
And when the Bulldogs are heading to Knoxville as they are this year, Brown knows he’ll be booed every time his name is announced over the public address system.
“I already knew the day I committed [to Georgia] when I was sitting there chilling with my family and friends, I was like, ‘every time we play Tennessee I’m going to get booed. I know I am,’” he said. “So I’m ready for it. It doesn’t matter to me.”
In his first game at Neyland Stadium two years ago, the 6-foot-5, 222-pound split end was booed mercilessly after hauling in his first reception. “It was pretty loud,” he said with a laugh.
The reason Brown draws such ire from Tennessee fans is the same reason Georgia fans get after Da’Rick Rogers so badly. Like Rogers, Brown was a five-star prospect and the No. 1-rated recruit in his state when he chose to sign with the Bulldogs.
Unlike Rogers, who was a UGA commitment for seven months, Brown never committed to the Vols. But Brown was generally considered a UT lock when former head coach Phil Fulmer was there.
“I guess they just felt like I should have gone there,” Brown said of Vols fans. “Whatever.”
Robinson ready
Junior linebacker Christian Robinson came back from an ankle injury and played about 25 snaps against Mississippi State last week. He expects to play more at Tennessee on Saturday.
“I think they feel more confident after seeing me get some reps in the last game,” Robinson said. “ I think they want me out there to help us communicate and get everybody on the same page. That’s the biggest thing for us. Whatever I get I’ll take. I know Coach O [Kirk Olivadotti, inside linebackers coach] has been telling everybody it’s on our shoulders. He expects a lot out of our group.”
The question is how the Bulldogs might look with Robinson taking most of the reps at one inside linebacker. Junior Michael Gilliard has led the Bulldogs in tackles starting there in each of the past three games, while freshman Amarlo Herrera started at the other inside linebacker.
Georgia Vols
There are 17 players on the Tennessee roster who call Georgia home, including several who are in the starting lineup.
In addition to Rogers, right tackle Ja’Wuan James of Suwanee, tailback Tauren Poole of Toccoa, and inside linebacker A.J. Johnson of Gainesville are all expected to start against the Bulldogs on Saturday, and several other Georgians are expected to play frontline roles.
“It’s an important state for us in recruiting,” Tennessee coach Derek Dooley said. “But it’s an important state for about five other schools in recruiting who are close by. Not only does the home-state school depend on all that talent — they’re going to make up probably 80 to 90 percent of their class — but then you have Alabama and Auburn and Florida and Florida State and Clemson and South Carolina who are all are just as close or really closer than Tennessee.”
Etc.
Jim Booz has been named Georgia’s new senior associate athletic director for compliance. He comes from Virginia, where he was most recently associate AD for academic affairs, to replace Eric Baumgartner, who left to UGA to become associate AD for compliance at Virginia. ... Senior flanker Israel Troupe is expected to return from a leg injury Saturday. ... Georgia held a closed “dress-rehearsal” scrimmage at Sanford Stadium on Thursday.
